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By AMY PRENTICE 


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$uitf l&tng’B ($.nttnaf ^fortce 

By AMY PRENTICE 

Bunny Rabbit’s Story 

. 30 Illustrations 

Billy Goat's Story 

. 32 Illustrations 

Brown Owl’s Story . 

. 3 1 Illustrations 

CroaKy Frog’s Story . 

. 28 Illustrations 

FrisKy Squirrel’s Story 

. 30 Illustrations 

Gray Goose’s Story . 

. 32 Illustrations 

MicKie MonKey’s Story 

. 35 Illustrations 

Houser Cat’s Story . 

. 35 Illustrations 

Plodding Turtle’s Story 

30 Illustrations 

QuacKy DucK’s Story 

. 34 Illustrations 

SpecKled Hen’s Story 

. 28 Illustrations 

Towser Dog’s Story 

. 32 Illustrations 

All Uniform With This Volume 

Price , Fifty Cents Per Copy 

A. L. BURT 

COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 

NEW YORK 




4 



Down came Mr. Eagle and picked up Plodding Turtle 
in his claws. 


Plodding Turtle’s Story. 


Qjtunt Qjtmp'er @ntmaC Rories 


Plodding Turtle s Story 


By AMY PRENTICE 



With Thirty Illustration* 
and a Frontispiece in Colors 
BY J. WATSON DAVIS 


A. E. BURT COMPANY, Publishers 
NEW YORK 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

FEB 8 1906 



Copyright 1906 

By A. U. BURT COMPANY 

Plodding Turtle’s Story 
By Amy Prentice 




PLODDING TURTLE’S STORY. 


By AMY PRENTICE. 

When your Aunt Amy went down to her 
favorite seat by the side of the pond one day last 
week, she felt almost lonely, for neither bird nor 
animal was to be seen. 



Mr. Plodding Turtle. 


Usually she meets Frisky Squirrel, Bunny Bab- 
bit, or Mr. Crow some time before arriving at her 
resting-place near an old log ; but on this after- 
noon it was as if the neighborhood had been de- 

3 


4 


plotting {Turtles Stor?* 


serted, and not even the chirping of a bird could 
be heard. 

At first your Aunt Amy thought she would go 
back home without delay, because she had come 
to the pond only in order to talk with her bird or 
animal friends ; but the day was so warm, and the 
breeze which came over the water so refreshings 


that she lingered, and 
was actually falling 
asleep when a loud 
splashing of the water 
caused her to look 
around quickly, when 
she saw on the edge 
of the bank, Mr. 
Croaky Frog, his eyes 
gleaming brightly as 
if he was asking why 



Mr. Croaky Frog. 


she had come. 

“ Good afternoon, Mr. Frog,” your Aunt Amy 
said. w Can you tell me why there is no one save 
yourself to be seen around here this pleasant 
day 1 ” 

“I guess everybody, except old Mr. Plodding 
Turtle, has gone over to the big oak to hear Mr. 
Crow tell about the monkey who went to sea on 


Poking {Turtle's Stor^ 5 

a fish. Mr. Crow claims that he was well ac- 
quainted with the monkey; but I ain’t the kind 
of a fellow to swallow such yarns.” 



Mr. Crow. 


“ Then you don’t believe all that Mr. Crow tells 
about what he has seen on his travels ? ” your Aunt 
Amy asked. 

WHY THE GIRAFFES HAVE LONG NECKS. 

“ I used to, till he told the story of how the 
giraffes’ necks happened to be so long, and then I 
just had to stop putting any faith in what he said,” 
Mr. Frog replied. 

“ I supposed that giraffes always had long 
necks,” your Aunt Amy said in surprise, and Mr. 
Frog winked one eye slowly as he began in a 
manner which told very plainly that he had a 
story to tell. 


6 


plotting {Turtle^ Stor^ 

“ According to what Mr. Crow says, when the 
giraffes first came into this world their necks were 
of the proper length, and they were looked upon 
as very nice animals, although some said that the 



first Mrs. Giraffe was a good deal more inclined to 
pry into her neighbors’ affairs than was pleasant. 

u Well, the way Mr. Crow tells it is this, one 
day when Mrs. Giraffe and her husband were out 


7 


plotting {Turtle's Stor?* 

looking for a good place in which to set up house- 
keeping, she stumbled upon a box that had been 
thrown up on the shore by the sea, and nothing 
would satisfy her but that she must know what 
was inside. 

“ 4 Come here,’ she called in great glee to her 
husband, who was lying in the shade resting him- 
self after his long tramp at house-hunting. 4 Come 
and see what I have found,’ and she kicked the 
cover off the box. 4 It’s a lovely lot of marsh-mal- 
lows all done up in silver paper, and must have 
been lost overboard from some steamer. They 
will last us a month at the very least, and we won’t 
have to pay a cent for them.’ 

44 4 But surely you are not going to eat what 
doesn’t belong to you, my dear,’ her husband said, 
and she replied quite sharply : 

44 4 Of course I am, and you are going to have 
your share.’ 

44 Now it so happened that instead of being 
marsh-mallows which Mrs. Giraffe had found, it 
was a box of yeast cakes, and she never discovered 
the difference even after eating half a dozen, al- 
though I suppose it must have puzzled her to make 
out why they tasted so queerly. 

44 Well, it wasn’t long afterward that both the 


8 


flMobfcing Gurtle's Storp, 

giraffes grew very thirsty, and, with plenty of 
water near at hand, it was only natural they should 
drink all they wanted. Of course you can fancy 
what happened ! The yeast began to work, and 
raised their heads higher and higher until their 
necks were stretched out as we see them now. 
Mr. Crow says he don’t know what might have 
happened if they’d eaten more of the yeast cakes 
— perhaps their heads would have run out over 
their necks. At any rate, Mr. Crow thinks it 
should teach us not to meddle with other people’s 
property, and, above all, never to eat anything 
that we find lying around loose.” 

“ Then you don’t believe the story to be true, 
Mr. Frog ? ” your Aunt Amy asked, and before it 
was possible for him to answer the question, Mr. 
Turtle’s head suddenly appeared from beneath a 
lily pad. 

“ I thought I heard voices,” he said as he 
clambered slowly ashore, taking a seat on the log 
where the sun’s rays would fall directly upon him, 
and as he spoke Mr. Frog leaped into the water, 
saying in adieu : 

u Ker-chug, ker-chune, I’ll see you soon.” 

“ What has he been saying about me ? ” Mr. 
Turtle asked suspiciously. “ He’s always ready 


9 


BMobbing turtle's Stor^ 

to tell stories about other people, till somebody 
makes a fuss, and then he’s just as big a coward 
as Jim Bug.” 


HOW THE BUTTERFLIES FRIGHTENED 
MR. BUG. 

It seemed only natural for your Aunt Amy to 
ask who Mr. Bug was, and Mr. Turtle replied 
promptly : 

“ He lives over yonder near that old stump, and 
he’s frightened of his own shadow, although you 
never knew him to miss a chance of spreading the 
news if somebody else was scared, or had had a 
trick played on them. The other day a lot of 
butterflies got him behind the raspberry vines, 
and said that policemen were hunting for him. 

u 1 Why should they hunt after me ? ’ Jim Bug 
asked, beginning to tremble terribly. 

u< Farmer Jones claims you climbed over his 
fence and bit a big piece out of one of his apples,’ 
the butterflies said, and there wasn’t any need to 
make up more of a story in order to scare him. 

“ Mr. Bug ran home as fast as his legs would 
carry him, and burst into the kitchen where his 


10 


UMobbing aurtle'6 ©tor?. 


wife was frying doughnuts, with the tears running 
down his cheeks, as he cried s 




li ‘ The policemen are after me ! The policemen 
are after me ! Oh, hide me somewhere, my dear, 
and hide me quick ! 1 


11 


flMo&Mng {Turtle's Stor^ 

u ‘ Why, what is the matter, James ? ’ Mrs. Bug 
asked as soon as he gave her a chance to speak, 
and he repeated what the butterflies had told him. 

“‘I am ashamed of you, James Bug,’ his wife 
said, angry-like. 4 Don’t you know that Farmer 
Jones hasn’t a single fence on his place, and, 
what’s more, he never owned an apple tree. If 
you hadn’t been so frightened you’d known the 
butterflies were fooling you.’ 

“ And that’s the way with Croaky Frog,” Mr. 
Turtle said, shaking his head disapprovingly, 
while your Aunt Amy, not caring to hear about 
Mr. Frog’s faults or cowardice, asked why Mr. 
Turtle didn’t go to hear Mr. Crow’s story. 


WHEN MR. MONKEY WENT TO SEA. 

“ Because I knew all about it before ever Mr. 
Crow was born,” Mr. Turtle replied quite snap- 
pishly. “ It was the same Thomas Ape that made 
the trousers for Mr. Lion, who went to sea, and I 
was acquainted with him long before he turned 
tailor. 

“You see, Mr. Ape, when he was quite a young 
fellow, ran away from home to go to sea, thinking 


12 plotting {Turtle's Stor^ 

anybody would be glad to hire him for a sailor 
even though he’d never so much as seen the ocean. 
Well, I can tell you that he was awfully seasick 
before he got very far from the farm ; but he 
didn’t have the courage to go back and take the 
whipping he knew his father would give him, so 
he swallowed the big lump that kept coming^up 
in his throat whenever he thought of his mother, 
and followed his nose. 

“ When he came to the ocean he found that the 
Mr. Men who owned vessels weren’t so very 
anxious to hire him, and he walked around on the 
beach wishing he was at home once more, when 
a monstrous big Mr. Dolphin swam up, and asked 
him what the matter was. 

“ Tommy told him all about it, and Mr. Dolphin 
said, as if he wanted to be friendly : 

“ ‘ I’ll take you to sea with me, and I guess one 
voyage will be enough.’ 

“ So young Mr. Ape got on Mr. Dolphin’s back, 
and off they started. It seemed a good deal like 
fun to Tommy, until they were way out in the 
ocean where lots of birds were flying around, and 
Mr. Dolphin asked him if he didn’t intend to work 
his passage. 

“ 1 What can I do ? ’ young Mr. Ape asked in a 



Thomas Ape goes to sea with Mr. Dolphin. Page 12. 

Plodding Turtlt 




13 


plotting turtle's Stor^ 

very faint voice, for he was beginning to feel 
queer in his stomach. 

44 4 Catch one of those birds, and cook it for sup- 
per,’ Mr. Dolphin said angry-like. 

“ 4 But I don’t know how,’ Tommy whined, and 
the tears began to roll down his cheeks. 4 1 never 
cooked a thing in my life.’ 

444 Well, what can you do for a living?’ Mr. 
Dolphin asked. 

44 4 1 only know how to pick cocoanuts,’ young 
Mr. Ape said, meek as milk. 

44 4 Cocoanuts don’t grow on the water,’ and now 
Mr. Dolphin began to shake himself till Tommy 
thought surely he’d fall oft. 4 1 can’t for the life 
of me understand why you wanted to come to 
sea, when you’re good for nothing except on land.’ 

44 When he said this Mr. Dolphin shook Tommy 
oft into the water, and because there wasn’t any 
Mrs. Giraffe near-by, he’d been drowned if he 
hadn’t happened to catch hold of the legs of a 
bird that was flying close around, and she dragged 
him ashore.” 

44 What did you mean by saying there was no 
Mrs. Giraffe near ? ” Aunt Amy asked, and Mr. 
Turtle replied as he tried to scratch his nose with 
one of his front flippers: 


14 flMofcbing ^Turtle's 5ton>* 

AN ODD LIFE-SAVING CREW. 

u That’s in a song which Mr. Crow made up, 
and if you’d like, I’ll tell you how it goes.” 



Then, without delay, Mr. Turtle repeated the 
following verses : 

A wise and sagacious old monk 
Fell into the water kerplunk, 



15 


U>lobt>inQ turtle’s Storp. 

But monks cannot swim, and alas for poor him, 

He cried out for help as he sunk. 

A crocodile nipped at his nose, 

Another one nipped at his toes — 

A giraff who was strong, with a neck that was long, 
Came up, and now what do you s’pose ? 

He jerked out the monkey so quick, 

So nice and so proper and slick ; 

Then with a gay laugh, said this kindly giraff’ : 

“ I am one of the life-saving click.” 

The monkeys all gathered around 
Their brother who rolled on the ground, 

Who cried, “ Thanks to you, and your life-saving crew, 
I’m a live monk instead of a drowned.” 


“ Perhaps you don’t like that ? ” Mr. Turtle said 
as he finished the lines, and your Aunt Amy was 
forced to confess that she did not greatly admire 
Mr. Crow’s poetry. 

“Well,” Mr. Turtle said thoughtfully, as he 
moved a little further up on the log in order to 
get the full benefit of the sun’s rays, u he may not 
be so terribly good at that sort of thing ; but he 
does know how to tell a story. Now, he’s got 
one about a grasshopper — Look ! Look there ! ” 


16 


HMobtuns turtle's 5tor& 

he cried excitedly, and pointing with his flipper to 
the other side of the pond. “There’s Croaky 
Frog in his nice new hat starting off to meet Mr. 
Rat, and the two of them will go down to old 
Mrs. Mouse’s, just the same as their grandfathers 
did before them ! ” 

Your Aunt Amy had 
already seen the same 
frog ; but was at a loss 
to know why he was 
dressed in such a fashion 
until Mr. Turtle spoke, 
and then the words of 
the nursery jingle came 
into her mind, of the 
Frog Who Would a 
Wooing Go. 

Mr. Turtle watched 
eagerly until his friend 
disappeared behind a 
clump of bulrushes, and then he said with a sigh, 
as if he envied Mr. Frog the pleasure he would 
have : 

I was going to say, when Croaky came in sight, 
that Mr. Crow’s story about the grasshopper is 
worth hearing.” 



plotting ^Turtle's Storp* 17 

“ Then suppose you tell it, Mr. Turtle,” your 
Aunt Amy said, and he began at once. 


THE JUMPING GRASSHOPPER. 

“ Once upon a time a grasshopper who lived in 
a potato field grew very proud because he had 
won a jumping match from a cricket, and began 
to believe he could do something very wonderful, 
so he went to Mr. Bull Frog and boasted of his 
skill. 

“‘I can jump farther and higher than any 
member of the frog family,’ he said proudly, and 
when Mr. Frog claimed that it was all a mistake, 
Mr. Grasshopper dared him to jump a match on 
the next Saturday afternoon. 

“ The frog agreed, and during all that week Mr. 
Grasshopper worked very hard at taking exercise. 
He would run a mile or two, jump rope, fly over 
fences, and hop up and down until he was really 
the greatest jumper that had been seen in the field 
for many years. 

“ At last, Saturday afternoon came, and all the 
neighbors for fifty yards around were gathered to 
see the sport. Mr. Frog stood up to the mark as 


18 plotting turtle's Stor^ 

if he expected to do great things, singing all the 
while : 

w 4 Watch me jump ! Watch me jump ! Watch 
me jump !’ 

u Then he sucked in his breath, and leaped six 
feet or more. 

“ 4 That’s only tadpole’s play for me,’ Mr. Grass- 
hopper said scornfully. 4 1 told you that I was 
the greatest jumper on earth, and I want all the 
frogs and grasshoppers here to see me prove it. 
After this I intend to go with the circus, and sur- 
prise people.’ 

44 Then, instead of looking around to see where 
he might be going, he threw out his legs in one 
grand leap, and would certainly have won the 
match, if he hadn’t jumped right down the throat 
of Mr. Turkey Gobbler, who was watching the 
sport.” 

44 Do you live near here, Mr. Turtle ? ” your 
Aunt Amy asked, when the old fellow was at the 
end of his story. 

44 Well, I’ve been staying around this pond quite 
a long while, and shan’t probably leave until we 
have a very dry spell, for it is only at such times 
that we Turtles make a change.” 

44 Where is your home ? ” and your Aunt Amy 


19 


plotting {Turtle's Stor& 

was really curious to know something about the 
habits of turtles. 

“ I don’t have any one particular place, as those 
foolish squirrels and rabbits do. I just hang 
around wherever it is the most pleasant, and when 



Mr. Grasshopper Jumped Down Mr. Gobbler’s Throat. 


winter comes it doesn’t make any great difference 
whether I burrow into the mud on this side of the 
pond, or the other. Now for example, I spent the 
cold season last year at the upper end of the pond, 




20 


plowing {Turtle's Stor^ 

where I got acquainted with some of the nicest 
fishes I have met for many years. 

THE GREEDY FISH. 

“ And that reminds me of something which you 
ought to hear, if for no other reason than because 
it teaches one how unwise, to say the least, it is to 
be greedy. There was a family of chubs, the 
nicest fishes you ever saw, who had adopted a 
poor little orphan perch, and were doing their best 
to bring him up in the way a fish should go ; but 
it seemed as if he thought of nothing but his 
stomach. Croaky Frog used to say that he had 
seen young Perch going around with a plate held 

on his tail, so that 
he would be ready 
for dinner if any 
food happened to 
come his way. 

“ Of course I don’t 
Greedy Mr. Perch. claim that is true, 

for Mr. Frog often says things in sport that sound 
much like wrong stories ; but little Perch really 
was wickedly greedy. Mrs. Chub often told him 
that he would regret giving way in such a degree 




The sad fate of Sonny Perch. Page 21. 

Plodding Turtle 






21 


plotting {Turtle's Stor^ 

to his appetite ; but he always said that he didn’t 
care what happened so that he could eat all he 
wanted, though I feel sure he changed his mind at 
the last. 

44 One day Mr. Man’s boy let down into the 
water a big, fat worm, and the end of a hook 
could be seen sticking out through it as plain as 
the nose on your face. 

44 4 Don’t go near that, Sonny Perch,’ Mrs. Chub 
whispered as she swam around to make sure it 
was only a bait to catch foolish fish ; but young 
Perch didn’t pay any attention to what she said. 
He believed he knew as much as his elders, and 
said as he darted toward the worm : 

44 4 These old people always think they know 
everything, and I’ll show them that they are way 
behind the times.’ 

44 Then he swallowed the worm, and the next 
thing we knew Mr. Man’s boy pulled him up out 
of our sight. 

44 If he had listened to Mrs. Chub he might yet 
be in this pond,” your Aunt Amy said, and Mr. 
Turtle added, shaking his head sadly : 

44 The trouble is that young people won’t listen 
to those who have lived a long while in this world, 
and should know best about everything; and, 


22 plotting {Turtle's ©tor?* 

again, there are those old enough to understand 
better, who make quite as big fools of themselves, 
the same as Mr. Crane did when he believed he 
was a stork.” 

WHEN ME. CRANE THOUGHT HE WAS 
A STORK 

“ What is the story, Mr. Turtle ? ” your Aunt 
Amy asked, and the old fellow scratched his nose 
against the log as if to bring the matter to mind 
more clearly, after which he began : 

“ It happened right here in this pond not so 
many years ago. There was a crane who lived 
over on the other bank, and because his bill was 
a few inches longer than some of his friends could 
boast of, he got the idea that he must be a stork, 
and from that moment the foolish fellow refused 
to have anything to do with the rest of the family ; 
but waded around alone, with his head held high. 

“ Now he knew that it is the business of the 
storks to carry babies from one place to another, 
and, except when hunting for food, he stood on 
the bank watching for a baby, so that he could 
take it over to Mr. Man who lives on the farm 
yonder. 


23 


plowing {Turtle's Stor^ 

u More than once I talked with Mr. Crane, try- 
ing to show him why he wasn’t a stork, and telling 
him he’d get into trouble if he tried to change the 
babies of the neighborhood from one house to 
another ; but he wouldn’t even listen to me. 



u 1 1 know I’m a stork, else my bill wouldn’t be 
the longest in the family, and if I am a stork, of 



24 


plotting {Turtle's Storp* 


course I know all about babies,’ be said whenever 
I tried to persuade him that he was acting fool- 
ishly. 4 Because you’re so old, you think you 
know everything, Mr. Turtle; but I’ll show the 
people around this pond that storks do the right 
thing every time.’ 

44 4 Perhaps they do,’ I replied, almost growing 
angry because of the way in which he spoke; 
4 but when cranes get to meddling with what 
doesn’t concern them, there’s likely to be trouble.’ 

44 Then I left the foolish fellow, and that very 


afternoon little Martha 
Washington Black, a colored 
baby, toddled down to the 
pond, while any one who 
wasn’t blind could have seen 
that Mr. Crane had his eye 
on her. 



44 Well, the poor little 
thing hadn’t much more than 
got here before Mr. Crane 


Martha Washington Black. 


came over as fast as his long legs would carry 
him, and ran at the darkey baby with his mouth 
wide open, intending to carry her right over to 
Mr. Man’s. Of course Martha Washington was 
frightened, and, oh me, oh my, how she did 


25 


plotting {Turtle's Stor?* 

scream ! I never knew before that anything of 
her size could make so much noise ! 

u Of course Mr. Crane didn’t know how to take 
up babies properly, and while he was fooling 
around, trying to get her into his mouth, Mrs. 
Black came with a big stick. She struck the 
foolish Crane one blow across his long neck, and 
broke it short off, which put an end to his trying 
to be a stork, for he died, the same as anybody 
would who had a broken neck. You may be sure 
that the rest of the cranes around here won’t try 
to change babies for other folks.” 

“ Have I not heard, Mr. Turtle, that Mr. Eagle 
once carried you high up in the air ? ” your Aunt 
Amy asked. 

WHEN MR. TURTLE SAW THE WORLD. 

“ Well, he did it, whether you’ve heard about 
it or not,” Mr. Turtle replied with what was very 
like a laugh. “ Some people think I was fright- 
ened, and perhaps I was ; but there’s no real need 
of speaking about that part of it. 

“You see it was Mr. Eagle who made the mis- 
take, and since I came out of the scrape with a 
whole shell, it seems to me that the joke was on 


26 


plotting turtle’s Storp. 

him. The truth is that I was sunning myself on 
this very log, and Mr. Croaky Frog sat beside me 
telling what fun he and Mr. Rat had down at old 
Mrs. Mouse’s, when Mr. Eagle spied us. 

“ He was hungry, and thought a fat frog would 
do him a world of good, so down he swooped. I 
had just drawn my head into my shell, and didn’t 
see him coming ; but Mr. Frog was wide awake, 
and, without giving me the least little bit of a 
warning, he slipped into the water so softly and 
quickly that Mr. Eagle neither saw nor heard him. 

“ Down he came, thinking I was the frog, picked 
me up in his big claws, and not until we were 
high in the air did he discover his mistake. 

“ 1 Hello, Plodding Turtle, what are you doing 
here ? ’ he asked in surprise, and I, never letting 
on about being frightened, replied : 

“ 4 Just off on an excursion ; but I forgot to get 
my ticket before we started.’ 

u 4 Where is Croaky Frog ? ’ Mr. Eagle asked. 

44 Down there under his lily pad, I guess,’ was 
what I said, and the words were hardly out of my 
mouth before Mr. Eagle, mad as the maddest hatter 
that ever lived, let me drop, saying as he did so : 

“‘You have no right up here, deceiving us 
Eagles.’ 



Plodding Turtle off on an excursion. Page 26. 

Plodding Turtle 



27 


poking {Turtle's ©tor?* 

“ I might have said something sharp in reply if 
there had been any time; but just then I was 
wondering how much it would hurt me when I 
struck the ground. 

“ Of course I pulled in my legs and head, and 
the next thing I knew I was in the pond, way 
down at the bottom. I’d had the good fortune to 
fall in the water, and no great harm was done, ex- 
cept that I had to swim a long distance before 
getting back to this place. I’m hoping Mr. Eagle 
was very hungry that day.” 

“ That was a very narrow escape from death.” 
your Aunt Amy said, and Mr. Turtle replied with 
a sigh : 

“ Indeed it was. The shock to my nerves was 
so great that I didn’t really feel like myself for a 
week. Mr. Crow was very kind during that time. 
He did everything he could to cheer me, and sat 
up in that tree hours at a time telling stories and 
repeating poetry. Here is what he wrote about a 
party he was invited to during his travels : 

A PINK TEA IN THE JUNGLE. 

They are seated at the table, 

All the creatures of the show ; 

For the monkey gave a banquet 
To the animals, you know. 


28 


poking turtle’s Storp. 

The elephant has tartlets, 

He is stowing them away ; 

Thej r ’re garnished with red cabbages, 
And stuffed with clover hay. 



The Monkey’s Party. 


The lion is delighted 

With a joint that’s very sweet ; 

“ Thanks ! ” he says to Mr. Monkey — 
“ Just a little more of meat.” 

The leopard’s gaily flirting 
With the camel on the sly, 


29 


plowing ^Turtle's Storp. 

While the monkey’s sweetly smiling 
As he passes berry pie. 

It’s a very funny banquet 
Mister Monkey gave, you know, 

To the animals who gathered 
In the tented-sawdust show. 

“ I have heard of Mr. Crow’s poetry very often, 
and think that some of it is very silly,” your Aunt 
Amy said when Mr. Turtle had finished reciting 
the verses, and he said thoughtfully : 

u I really suppose there are others who can 
write as good poetry ; but I have never heard any 
that pleased me better, and as for telling stories, 
I’ve never heard his equal. 


THE DISCONTENTED LION. 

“ While I was so feeble, owing to the shock of 
of being dropped by the eagle, Mr. Crow told me 
about a lion he knew, who belonged to a circus, 
and was kept in a cage which wasn’t more than 
half as big as it should have been in order to give 
him a chance to turn around. One day he said 
to himself : 


30 plotting {Turtle's Stor^ 

“ 1 Here I am caged up with only half enough to 
eat, and a lot of strangers staring at me, while Mr. 
Man who owns the circus is making all the money 
and doing just as he pleases. I’m tired of it, and 
intend to escape at the very first opportunity. I’ll 
find a partner, and go into business for myself.’ 



“So one morning when Mr. Man opened the 
door to feed Mr. Lion, the old fellow gave one 
spring, knocked over everybody who stood near, 
and did not stop running until he was far out in 
the country, tired, thirsty and hungry. 

“ The next morning he started out to look for 
partners, but no sooner did any of the other ani- 


31 


plotting {Turtle's ©tor?* 

mals see him than they ran away, fearing he 
wanted to eat them, and o(i course he didn’t get a 
chance to tell about his wonderful plans. 

“ I have been told by those who claim to know, 
for it is hard word to coax Mr. Lion into telling 
anything about his excursion, that he didn’t get a 
bite to eat for three days, and then, when he went 
toward a farm-house intending to ask the farmer’s 
wife for any kind of food she could spare, the 
farmer and his sons came out with guns to shoot 
him. 

“ He couldn’t do anything but run away again, 
and he thought he was very lucky in coming upon 
the circus-tent just when he was so tired, that it 
seemed as if he couldn’t take another step. He 
was glad enough to promise Mr. Man he would 
stay right there all the time, with never another 
thought of going into business for himself, and 
since then he has acted as if he was the most con- 
tented lion in the world. 

“ Mr. Crow thinks the story should teach us that 
one trouble is never so great but that we may find 
another greater, unless we have a pretty good idea 
of where we are going before starting off to better 
ourselves. It was at that same circus Mr. Little 
Jumbo Elephant gave the clown a lesson he 


32 


pobbing {Turtle's Stor?* 

needed, and I’d like to tell the story, if you’ve got 
time to hear it.” 


THE CLOWN’S LESSON. 

Of course your Aunt Amy told him that she 
would be pleased to hear any story he had to tell^ 
and Mr. Turtle began : 

“You must know that Mr. Little Jumbo shows 
himself at the circus in company with the clown, 
and one day when the two had finished their act, 
the clown said, as if he believed he was the only 
performer worth looking at : 

w 4 Didn’t I do well to-day ? ’ 

44 4 Perhaps you mean, didn’t we do well,’ Mr. 
Little Jumbo said just a bit sharply. 

44 4 Well, I like that!’ the clown cried with a 
laugh. 4 How did you get the idea into your thick 
head that the people pay any particular attention 
to what you do ? I was the one who taught you 
the tricks, and if I don’t keep prodding you with 
this iron hook to show you which way to turn, 
you never know what to do.’ 

44 Now of course it was very rude for the clown 
to speak in such a way to an animal like Mr. 
Elephant,” old Mr. Turtle said in a tone of dis- 


33 


plowing {Turtle's Storp* 

pleasure ; 44 but Mr. Little Jumbo wasn’t so ill-bred 
as to quarrel, therefore he remained silent, and 
nothing was said regarding the matter until it was 
time for the next day’s performance to begin. 
Then, when the two were ready to go into the 
ring, the clown said to Mr. Hippo : 

44 4 Now keep your eye on me, and you’ll see 
something fine ! ’ 

44 4 Keep your eye on ws, Hippy dear,’ Mr. Little 
Jumbo whispered as he marched into the ring 
behind the clown. 

44 The big fellow did all his tricks in fine style, 
paying no attention to the airs and graces of the 
clown, until the time came for the last part of the 
performance, when Mr. Little Jumbo stood with 
his front feet on a tub while the clown ran out on 
Mr. Elephant’s trunk, and stayed there a minute or 
two bowing to the people. 

u 4 Ladies and gentlemen,’ the clown began. 
4 This is my greatest act ’ 

44 4 Say our greatest act,’ Mr. Little Jumbo 
whispered. 

44 4 This is my greatest ’ the clown said 

sharply, believing he could do as he pleased with 
Mr. Elephant. 

44 He didn’t have time to finish what be was 
3 


34 plotting {Turtle's Store* 

saying, for just then Mr. Little Jumbo lowered 
his trunk quickly, and Mr. Clown fell sprawling 
on his back in the sawdust, while the people 
laughed and clapped their hands at the sport. 



When Pride Had a Fall. 


“ ‘ Will you remember to say we after this ? ’ 
Mr. Elephant whispered, and the clown was glad 
to promise. Then the big fellow helped him up 
on his trunk again, and the two went out of the 
ring good friends. From that time Mr. Clown 


35 


plotting {Turtle's Storp. 

never tried to take all the credit of the perform- 
ance to himself. 

“Yes,” Mr. Turtle said in reply to a remark by 
your Aunt Amy, “ we have no right to take all 
the credit to ourselves when another shares in the 
labor, and we ought always listen to others who 
are wiser. Take the case of Mr. Crow’s wife, who 
might have been alive now, if she had been taught 
some such lesson in time.” 


HOW MRS. CROW STRANGLED HERSELF. 

“What happened to Mrs. Crow, Mr. Turtle?” 
your Aunt Amy asked, and the old fellow turned 
around that the other side of his shell might be 
warmed by the sun, as he said : 

“ All this happened a long time ago, when Mr. 
Crow was young, and his wife hadn’t seen very 
much of the world. It seems that the Crows went 
to the seashore to spend a few days during the 
hot weather, and while there amused themselves 
much as other people do who go to such a place. 
Mr. Crow tried to show his wife everything which 
was strange or new to her, and took her every- 
where, no matter how much it cost. 


36 plotting {Turtle's £tort>, 

“ One day when they were down on the rocks, 
he pointed out to her a mussel and a star-fish, 
which had come out from the sea to sun them- 
selves, and she pounced upon the mussel before 
he had time to explain to her what it really was. 

“‘Wait a moment, my dear,’ he said sweetly. 
‘ That creature lives in a shell, and not until- his 
house has been broken open can he be eaten.’ 

“‘You surely wouldn’t think of spending your 
time breaking what I know is very good to eat 
just as it is,’ Mrs. Crow said, as she picked up the 
mussel with her beak. 

“ ‘ Don’t try to swallow it, my dear ! 9 Mr. Crow 
cried as his wife twisted and squirmed to get the 
big shell into her mouth. ‘ He is much too large 
for your delicate throat, and I’ll break the shell if 
you will wait a moment.’ 

“Just then Mrs. Crow got the mussel into her 
mouth, and, without giving any heed to Mr. 
Crow’s words, she turned and tossed the shell 
until the pointed end was inside her beak. Then, 
while her husband scolded and coaxed, she strug- 
gled until the thing was stuck firmly in her throat. 

“ ‘ Cough ! ’ Mr. Crow cried. ‘ Cough, and you 
may be able to throw it out ! ’ 

“ But Mrs. Crow’s beak was held open so wide 



Mrs. Crow trying to swallow the mussel. Page 36. 

Plodding Turtle 




37 


flMobbing {Turtle's 5ton>* 

by the mussel that she couldn’t do the least little 
thing toward helping herself, and before Mr. Crow 
had time to get a doctor she was strangled to 
death, all of which needn’t have happened if she 
had stopped to listen to one who was wiser than 
herself.” 

Your Aunt Amy failed to see how the sad fate 
of Mrs. Crow was in any way like the experience 
of Mr. Clown with Mr. Elephant ; but Mr. Turtle 
seemed to be so sure the two stories taught the 
same lesson, that she remained silent, and after a 
few moments the old fellow said suddenly, as if 
he had just awakened : 


HUNTING FOR OIL. 

cc Speaking of Mr. Crow reminds me that he has 
just made up some new verses, and all the animals 
around here think they are very funny. You don’t 
seem to have much of anything to do, and I’m 
going to repeat them.” 

One morning in the jungle, 

Young Amos Quito bold, 

Was out prospecting early, 

In search of oil or gold. 


38 


plowing turtle’s Storp. 

He saw a hill and liked it, 

And said, “ The ground looks cheap ; 
Then called for his assistants 
To sink an oil well deep. 

They bored and tugged for hours, 

But could not move the soil ; 

They could not understand it — 

The surface looked like oil. 



The “ Oil Well ” shows Itself. 

Young Amos broke his stinger, 
His foreman broke his, too, 

But could not pierce the surface ; 
Now, what else could they do ? 


39 


plotting turtle’s Storp. 

They walked around, surveying, 

Said Amos, “ Say, we might 

Blow up the claim entirely 
With sticks of dynamite.” 

“ What’s that ? ” said a Rhinoceros ; 

“ What will you try to blow ? 

My back is not an oil well, 

I’ll have you all to know.” 

Up got old Rhiny, grunting, 

And shook his mighty frame. 

Off flew the young prospectors, 

Without their great oil claim. 

“ What kind of a lesson does that teach, Mr. 
Turtle ? ” your Aunt Amy asked with a smile, 
and the old fellow replied as if half ashamed : 

“ I haven’t claimed that all of Mr. Crow’s poetry 
has in it a lesson, for, as he himself says, a good 
deal is only nonsense jingle ; but here’s a story to 
show that it isn’t well to get the idea that a fellow 
is of too much importance in this world : 


THE PIG WHO WAS PROUD OF 
HIMSELF. 

u Once upon a time Mr. Clown taught Mr. Pig 
very many funny tricks, and went with a circus to 


40 plotting {Turtle's Storp, 

show him off ; but the people praised Mr. Pig so 
much that he began to think he ought to have all 
the credit for the performance. Then, because 
everybody didn’t say that the tricks would show 
off better if Mr. Clown wasn’t in the ring at all, 
Mr. Pig got real sulky. 

u 4 1 want you to give me a year’s vacation,’ he 
said, speaking very impolitely. 

44 4 What for ? ’ Mr. Clown asked in surprise. 

44 4 So that I can go back to Pigtown and tell 
my cousins and friends what a great fellow I am,’ 
Mr. Pig replied pertly. 

44 Then the clown said with a laugh : 

44 4 That’s not reason enough ; I can’t give you a 
vacation on that account.’ 

44 4 Then I won’t do any more tricks for you,’ 
Mr. Pig said, and he curled his tail as if to show 
that he could get along very well, even if Mr. 
Clown went away from the circus. 

44 4 All right,’ and Mr. Clown laughed as if the 
thought of Mr. Pig’s going away didn’t make him 
feel very badly. 4 After you have gone I shall 
get another pig, and teach him the tricks.’ 

44 4 That’ll be great,’ and Mr. Pig laughed till the 
tears rolled down his fat cheeks. 4 While you are 
teaching him the tricks I will be having the vaca- 


plotting {Turtle's Storp* 4i 

tion I want, and can go straight away to my 
cousin’s. 

“ ‘ Yes,’ the clown said with a grin, ‘you’ll have 
the vacation, and it will be longer than you now 
fancy. I shall never ask you to do any more of 



“ This will be the last time.” 


your funny tricks. You will never have to work 
again.’ 

“ ‘ Why ?’ Mr. Pig asked in surprise, beginning 
to think that perhaps there was more to the vaca- 



42 plotting {Turtle's Stor?* 

tion business than he had realized. 4 Won’t you 
ever want to stand on my back again ? ’ 

44 4 This will be the last time/ Mr. Clown said 
as he leaped nimbly up on Piggy’s shoulders. 

44 4 What do you mean ? ’ Mr. Pig asked in 
alarm. 

44 4 1 mean that if you won’t help me in the ring, 
you will no longer be of any value to me, and of 
no more service than one of the ignorant pigs. 
Then the only thing left will be to kill and eat 
you.’ 

44 Poor Mr. Pig was terribly frightened, and he 
trembled until his tail twirled around like a spin- 
ning-wheel. 

4 ' 4 O please don’t do that, Mr. Clown ! ’ he 
cried. 4 1 don’t believe I care for a vacation, in- 
deed I don’t ! ’ 

44 4 Very well,’ replied the Clown. 4 If you have 
come to your senses I will teach you a few more 
tricks, and keep you with me. But I don’t want 
you to forget this lesson. As long as you have a 
good home, and are treated right, be contented 
with what you have, and don’t think of going off 
to show your friends what a wonder you are.’ 

44 Do you know how Mr. Pig behaved after 
that ? ” your Aunt Amy asked. 


43 


fiMobbing turtle's Storth 

“Mr. Crow says lie has been just as good as 
sweet-apple pie,” Mr. Turtle said with a laugh. 

Then it was that your Aunt Amy remembered 
a remark which Mr. Turtle had made earlier in the 
afternoon, and she asked : 

“ What did you mean when you spoke of Mr. 
Ape’s making a pair of trousers for Mr. Lion ? ” 

WHEN ME. APE WAS A TAILOE. 

“ Why, the last business that Mr. Thomas Ape 
ever tried was being a tailor, and of course this 
happened after he ran away to sea, because Mr. 
Lion ate him a little while after the trousers were 
made. 

“ He had a shop under a palm tree, and so many 
animals bought clothes of him that he began to 
think he was the only person in the world who 
knew how to carry on such a business. One day 
he made a pair of blue trousers for Mr. Lion, and 
they didn’t seem to be just the kind a king should 
wear, because they were large enough for two 
lions. 

“ The king was very angry when he tried them 
on, so he went to Mr. Ape, and said with a terrible 


roar : 


44 plotting {Turtle's Stor^ 

44 4 You’re the worst tailor I ever had! Just 
look at these trousers you made me last week ! I 
wore them down here to-day to show you how 
miserably they don’t lit. Why, they are big 
enough around the waist to put another fellow 
in just my size. Do you expect me to look like 
a king in such things as these ? ’ 

44 Mr. Ape didn’t even get up when he answered 
the king ; but said careless-like, as if he knew more 
about trousers than any lion who ever lived : 

44 4 Oh, that’s all right. You see I know what a 
great appetite you’ve got, and so I made them large 
enough to lit after you’d had dinner.’ 

44 The king thought the matter over a moment, 
and it seemed as if he believed the explanation 
was a good one, for he finally said with a laugh : 

“ 4 You’re a clever tailor ; I never looked at the 
matter in that light before, and I believe there’s 
considerably more to it than you have stated.’ 

44 Then off he walked, and Mr. Ape chuckled 
until it looked as if he was going to have a fit, as 
he said to little Miss Squeaky Mouse : 

44 4 Of course that was a big lie I told the king ; 
but some folks are so simple that all you have to 
do is to fool them a little, in order to have every- 
thing go along as slick as grease.’ 


45 


flMobfcing {Turtle's Storp* 

“Then he began to sing, “Under the Bamboo 
Tree,” as he stitched up another pair of trousers 
that probably wouldn’t fit any better than those 
he had sent the king. 



“ Five minutes later the king came back looking 
wondrous wise, and after winking at Miss Mouse, 
he said to the tailor : 

“ ‘ Look here, according to your story you made 
these trousers too large in order to give room for 
my dinner. It has just come into my mind that 
in such case you ought to furnish the dinner, that 
I may see if they really fit after I have eaten a 
good meal.’ 


46 flMottoing {Turtle's Stor?. 

“ Then, without waiting for any discussion, he 
ate up Mr. Ape, and it was seen that the trousers 
didn’t fit much better than before ; but the tailor 
had got his pay for telling a lie, which, some 
people think, was exactly what he deserved.” 

Mr. Turtle looked up at your Aunt Amy, much 
as if to say he thought the story he had just told 
was a very good one, and after saying that she 
liked it better than some of the poetry he had re- 
peated, she asked him how old he was. 

“ Dear me, I can’t tell you that because I don’t 
know,” he replied thoughtfully. “My family 
live a long while, and we never try to keep a 
record of our ages. I might be more than an 
hundred years old for all I can tell; but I 
wouldn’t dare to say. At any rate, I was alive 
when the snake made love to the crab.” 

WHEN THE SNAKE TRIED TO CHARM 
THE CRAB. 

“ When was that, Mr. Turtle ? ” your Aunt 
Amy asked in surprise, for she had never heard 
of any such thing. 

“ I can’t say when it was,” Mr. Turtle replied 
as he scratched his nose thoughtfully; “but it 


47 


plotting {Turtle's ©ton?, 

must have been a long while before Mr. Crow’s 
great-grandfather tried to learn how to swim. 
Of course I’ll tell you about it, if you haven’t got 
tired of hearing me talk ; but, not knowing ex- 
actly when it happened, I shall have to make it a 
‘ once upon a time ’ story. 

“Well, Mr. Snake went down to the seashore 
one summer for his health ; but when he got there 
it was hard work to get all he wanted to eat, for 
he was camping out, instead of going to a regular 
boarding-house. One day he was so very, very 
hungry that he began to think he’d be forced to 
swallow some of the rocks, in order to fill his 
stomach, when he came upon a crab who was 
sleeping in the sun. 

“ Mr. Snake he crept up softly, thinking he 
would swallow her shell and all ; but after trying 
two or three times, he found that she was too 
wide for his mouth, and there was nothing to do 
but wait till she wakened. You see he thought 
crabs were like oysters or clams, and that she 
could open her shell as they did, when he would 
have a chance to get a mouthful of meat. 

“After a time Miss Crab opened her eyes, and 
Mr. Snake wriggled around as if he was so much 
surprised that he couldn’t keep still. 


48 


plowing {Turtle's Stor^ 

44 4 What a beautiful creature you are, to be 
sure ! ’ he said, darting his long tongue in and out 
to show her how slender it was. 

44 1 1 wish I could say as much for you/ she re- 
plied ; 4 but I can’t, for you are altogether too long.’ 

44 4 But I can coil myself into a very small space,’ 
Mr. Snake said as he twisted himself into all sorts 
of shapes ; yet he kept his head very near Miss 
Crab so that he might swallow her the moment 
she opened her shell. 

44 4 You look too much like an eel, and I never 
did like those squirmy creatures, except after they 
are dead, and then they make quite a good break- 
fast.’ 

44 4 A live snake is much better looking than a 
dead eel,’ Mr. Snake said as he winked his eye. 
4 Suppose you come out of your shell, and take a 
walk with me on the beach ? ’ 

44 4 Dear me, I couldn’t think of such a thing. 
What do you do with that long tongue ? ’ and 
Miss Crab stretched out her claws as if to feel 
of it. 

44 4 That is what I use to catch flies with,’ Mr. 
Snake said as he ran his tongue out at full length, 
and in a jiffy Miss Crab caught hold of it with 
both her big claws. 



Mr. Snake admires Miss Crab. Page 48. 

Plodding Turtle 









lplob&ing {Turtles Stor^ 49 

u Oh me, oh my, what trouble there was then ! 
Mr. Snake found that Miss Crab wasn’t the inno- 
cent little thing he had supposed her to be, and 
did his best to scurry off, believing he could drag 
her away without much work ; but she set her 
claws into the sand and between the rocks, scratch- 
ing all the' while to get into the water, as she said : 

“ 1 If you really think I am so beautiful, why 
don’t you come with me ? ’ 

“ Of course Mr. Snake couldn’t say a word be- 
cause she had hold of his tongue, and I’m told 
that they pulled and hauled and scratched for 
nearly a day ; but never once did Miss Crab let 
go her hold. Then, when Mr. Snake was so tired 
he couldn’t twist his tail, she began to eat him, 
and Mr. Lobster told me that next morning Miss 
Crab invited him to a breakfast of fresh snake 
cutlets. 

“ Thinking of Mr. Lobster and Miss Crab eating 
the snake who had believed he could charm any- 
body he met, reminds me of a picture Mr. Ape 
made, and Mr. Crow wrote verses to it. If you’ll 
wait a moment I will get it.” 


4 


50 plotting turtle's Storp* 

A PICNIC PARTY. 

Then Mr. Turtle’s head disappeared within his 
shell for a moment, and when he poked it out 
again he held in his mouth a small sheet of paper, 



The Lion and the Lamb at Tea. 


on which had been written, with Mr. Crow’s quill, 
the following lines, and the picture was beneath 
them : 

One day the monk his camera 
Into the jungle took, 



51 


flMobbing £urtle’0 Stor?. 

To get some photographs to paste 
Within his picture-book. 

He took the lion and the lamb 
Together at their tea, 

Both eating from a pot of jam, 

As here you plainly see. 

He took the elephant who played 
The part of circus clown, 

There standing in the jungle shade 
On his head upside down. 

He took the snake who juggled plates 
Upon his tail, you know ; 

He took some other funny things 
We haven’t room to show. 

“Of course you know Mr. Ape didn’t expect 
any one would really believe he saw anything of 
the kind ; but he drew it for a funny picture, and 
the part about the elephant and snake, Mr. Crow 
made up in his own head, so as to have it seem 
like a real picnic. Perhaps you don’t like it ? ” 

Your Aunt Amy was forced to confess that she 
did not think such things were as interesting as 
his stories, and the old fellow said quickly : 

“ Of course what might please us who live here 
near the pond wouldn’t seem funny to you ; but I 


52 


flMobbing {Turtle's Stor^ 

believe you’d like to hear about Grandfather Bear 
and little Bruin. 

WHEN LITTLE BEUIN WENT HONEY- 
HUNTING. 

“Would you really? Well, I’ll tell you all 
about it, and promise not to repeat any more of 
Mr. Crow’s poetry. 

“ Once upon a time Little Bruin’s grandfather 
agreed with him that if he was a good bear, and 
kept his paws clean for a week, he should go with 
him to gather honey, and if he then worked well, 
he might have a full jar for his very own. 

“ Little Bruin at once set about being good, and 
was so very, very good that his mother came near 
being afraid that such an unusual fit of goodness 
might make him sick. He sucked his paws more 
than half the time, until they were as clean as 
clean could be, and wouldn’t step in the dust for 
fear of soiling them. Evenings he sat in front of 
the fire with grandpa, and never once asked to go 
out with the other bears. Therefore when Satur- 
day afternoon came around, his grandfather told 
him he had fairly earned the right to go honey- 
hunting. 


53 


ljMofcbing {Turtle's Storp* 

u Then off the two started, Grandpa Bear carry- 
ing a basket, and Little Bruin with a jar, to find 
the honey which the bees had put away in a hol- 
low tree. In a short time they came across what 
they wanted, and then, because Little Bruin had 
done his full share of the work, the basket and jar 
were overflowing with what the bees had gathered. 



“ Of course Grandpa Bear gave Bruin the jar of 
honey as he had promised, and the little fellow 
was very happy indeed. Trudging along toward 
Bearville, he hugged the precious jar to his tiny 
stomach, and thought of what he would do with 
all that quantity of sticky sweetness. 


54 


plotting {Turtle's Stor^ 

“ ‘ I’ll give some of it to Tiny, and some to Jim, 
and some to Sweetpaw, and some to mother,’ he 
said as he peeped into the jar. 



“ The honey looked so tempting that he lapped 
just a little, and then smacked his lips, so delicious 
did it taste. 


55 


plotting {Turtle's St or?* 

“ 4 My ! but that was good ! ’ he said in delight. 
4 I guess I’d better sell half of it, and buy some 
snapping crackers for the Fourth of July.’ 

44 Then he took another taste, and another, till 
the thought came that the Fourth of July was so 
far away there was no real need of making ready 
for it nearly a year before it came. 

“ 4 My ! but I’ve eaten a good deal already. I 
ought to save the rest for the fair at the Orphan 
Bears’ Home next week, and if I’m going to do 
that there can’t be any harm in tasting a little 
more.’ 

44 Then his tongue found its way into the jar 
again, and some more honey went down his throat. 

44 When they came to the mile-post near home, 
his grandpa said : 

44 4 Bruin, you had better let me carry that jar ; 
you seem to be losing the honey out of it.’ 

“ 4 Oh, no, Grandpa,’ Little Bruin said eSgerly. 
4 1 can carry it, for we’ve only got one mile more 
to walk. I’m afraid I haven’t enough left to send 
to the Orphans’ Fair, so I’ll give some to the lame 
bear next door, and Tiny and Jim and Sweetpaw 
shall have the rest.’ 

44 But somehow, even after he had made this 
promise to himself, his tongue found its way into 


56 


plowing {Turtle's 5torp* 

the jar again, and when they got home not a drop 
of honey was left of all he had taken from the 
bees. 

“‘Dear, dear, but I wish I had that honey 
again,’ he said, as he scraped the inside of the jar 
with his paw. 

“ ‘ You’ve got it all, but it’s in the wrong place,’ 
his grandpa said with a laugh, and grandma added 
as she washed the little fellow’s sticky paws : 

“‘You must remember, Bruin, that you can’t 
eat your cake aud have it afterward.’ 

“ It is said that Little Bruin didn’t understand 
what she meant till the next day, and since then 
he has been sucking his paws nearly all the time, 
so that they may be clean in case he gets another 
chance to go honey-hunting, when he has made up 
his mind to share with the orphan bears before 
making a pig of himself.” 

“ That is a very good story, Mr. Turtle,” your 
Aunt Amy said, and the old fellow seemed much 
pleased with the praise. “ Now I would like to 
hear how it happened that the crow wanted to 


swim. 


poking {Turtle's 5tor& 


57 


WHEN THE CEOW TEIED TO SWIM. 

“ All I know about it is wbat Mr. Crow has 
told from time to time,” Mr. Turtle said thought- 
fully. “ You see it was his great-grandfather who 
acted so foolishly, and the family don’t speak of 
it as freely as when they are talking about other 
birds who have been silly. 

“ Of course it all happened a long time ago, 
when the swans thought they owned the whole of 
this pond, and wouldn’t let a duck or a goose so 
much as put his foot on the shore. Old Mr. Crow 
spent the greater portion of his time on the big 
oak, much as our Mr. Crow does ; but the swans 
never went up there to visit him, because they 
claimed to be way above him in society. 

“ Old Mr. Crow didn’t have an idea that the 
swans thought he wasn’t stylish enough to go 
around with them ; but came to believe they never 
returned his calls because he couldn’t swim, so he 
went to old Mr. Frog, and asked him if he thought 
it would be possible for him to take lessons in 
swimming. 

“ 1 You’ll have to wait, as I did, till you get feet 
that are webbed, and then it will come easy 


58 plotting ^Turtle's Stor^ 

enough,’ Mr. Frog said. 4 The time was when I 
had a tail, but never the sign of a foot ; but I 
waited and waited, living in the water all the 
while, and at last I grew to be as I am now.’ 

44 4 But I should drown in the water,’ Mr. Crow 
said. 4 Do you know it often makes me seasick to 
see the swan family sailing around day after day ? ’ 

44 4 You’ll get over that in time,’ Mr. Frog said 
as if he knew all about such things. 4 My advice 
is that you give over roosting on this oak tree, 
and stay near the water as much as possible ; the 
dampness should bring your feet around all right 
after a while.’ 

44 Well, old Mr. Crow was so eager to learn how 
to swim that he hardly gave himself time to get 
his meals regularly, but perched on a dead branch 
that hung out over the pond, and watched the 
swans from morning until night. He grew real 
thin in body because of not eating enough ; but 
there were no signs of his toes growing together 
like those of the birds who could swim. 

44 After a very long time the swans got tired of 
having him around so much, listening to every 
word they said, and old Mr. Swan asked whether 
he had ever tried to swim. 

44 4 1 never did,’ old Mr. Crow replied. 4 I’ve 


Hi 



Mr, Crow wants to learn how to swim. Page 58. 

Plodding Turtle 


IMlilM 








plotting ^Turtle's Stor^ 59 

been told that birds whose feet are not webbed 
will drown if they get in the water.’ 

“ 4 You’ll never know till you try,’ Mr. Swan 
said as he sailed away to catch a frog who had 
just hopped up on a lily pad, and Mr. Crow de- 
cided to make one big try to do as fashionable 
people did. 

“Down he jumped into the water, with his 
wings spread out wide, and there he floundered 
and screamed, but never a stroke could he swim. 

“ His wings kept him on top of the water for a 
while ; but his feathers were getting soaked, and 
he’d have been a dead crow very soon if old Mr. 
Swan hadn’t dragged him up among the bul- 
rushes where, after a time, he contrived to scram- 
ble ashore. 

“‘You have found out that you can’t swim,’ 
Mr. Swan said, speaking very sharply, when Mr. 
Crow came down on the dead branch next day 
looking rather feeble, ‘ and my advice is that you 
strive to be contented in that walk of life which 
nature intended for you. Don’t make a fool of 
yourself trying to be what you are not ; but make 
up your mind, as Mr. Elephant and Miss Giraffe 
did a long while ago, that you are not so badly off 
after all, even if you can’t swim.’ 


60 plotting {Turtle's Storp. 

“ Since then the whole Crow family have stayed 
away from the water, and it isn’t safe to ask any 
of them about their feet.” 

“ What about the elephant and the giraffe, Mr. 
Turtle ? ” your Aunt Amy asked. “ Do you know 
that story ? ” 

THE ANIMALS WHO FOUND FAULT 
WITH THEMSELVES. 

“ Oh yes indeed ; every one knows that. It 
seems the giraffe and the elephant met on a plain 
by the side of the river Nile. It was a warm day, 
and they were both rather out of sorts and inclined 
to be discontented. 

“ 1 1 agree with you,’ Miss Giraffe said angrily. 
4 We are both ridiculous. Why we were not made 
better looking I can’t understand. See my neck ; 
it’s so long and ugly that I feel ashamed whenever 
any one looks at me. Why, I can’t find a place 
in all Egypt where I can get a collar to fit me, and 
even if I should be so fortunate, I couldn’t scrape 
money enough together to pay for having it 
washed. I don’t see why I couldn’t have been 
made right, instead of with a neck like a flag- 
pole.’ 


61 


flMobbing {Turtle's Stor^ 

“ ‘ It is only too true,’ Mr. Elephant said sadly. 
‘Just see what a fright I am! It’s bad enough 
to be covered with a hide like leather, all wrinkled 
and ugly, without having a tail put on my front 
as well as my rear. What a nuisance it is to have 
to carry one’s trunk around, even when at home ! 
I can’t understand why we were allowed to be 
such frights ! ’ 



“ J ust then it was dinner-time, and both were 
hungry. Miss Giraffe reached gracefully up with 
her long neck, and took a mouthful of sweet palm- 
leaves. 

“ ‘ Couldn’t have done that without your long 
neck,’ Mr. Elephant said with a wink, and then 
he reached down, got a wisp of rich grass, and put 
it into his little mouth. 


62 plotting Gurtle's Stor^ 

44 4 Couldn’t have done that without your trunk,’ 
Miss Giraffe said with a smile. 

44 4 True,’ replied Mr. Elephant as he winked his 
eye again. 4 When you come to look us over from 
all points, I guess you’ll find that we weren’t made 
so badly after all.’ 

44 1 reckon we’re all made about right, though 
perhaps some of us haven’t found it out,” Mr. 
Turtle said as he came to an end of his story. 
“The Big-Horn sheep is the only one that ever 
contrived to change himself, and he’d never have 
done it but for trying to help others.” 

44 What do you mean by that, Mr. Turtle ? ” 
your Aunt Amy asked, and without further invi- 
tation the old fellow continued his story-telling : 

HOW THE BOCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP 
GOT HIS BIG HORNS. 

44 Once upon a time the little Princess, daughter 
of the King of the Forest, fell down overcome by 
the heat in the middle of a sandy plain, where 
there was not even the smallest bush to give her 
shade, and her mother cried out to all the animals 
of the woods to come and help her take care of 
the child. 


63 


plo&bing {Turtle's Storp, 

“ Now it so happened that nobody heard her 
except a Rocky Mountain Sheep, and until that 
time he didn’t have any horns. He stood by the 
side of the little girl so that the sun might not fall 
directly upon her ; but his body was so warm and 
his hair so thick that he did not dare get too near 
lest he might do more harm than good. 

44 4 Oh, if you only had long horns, so that I 
could spread my veil over them and shade her ! ’ 
the mother of the little Princess cried. 

44 Then the sheep stood there patiently and 
wished for long horns. He wished for them more 
than he had ever wished for anything, and sud- 
denly a beautiful pair sprouted right out of his 
forehead, growing and growing until they stretched 
out over the sleeping girl. Then the mother 
spread her veil upon them, and thus made her a 
little tent. 

44 When the Princess was better, and they went 
home to the King of the Forest, the poor sheep 
followed with his head hanging as if he felt very 
badly. 

44 4 See,’ he bleated, 4 1 cannot get my nose down 
to the grass ; I cannot even get my mouth to the 
water on account of these long horns which reach 
under my chin, and I must starve to death,’ 


64 plowing {Turtle's £torp* 

u 1 Oh, that is easily mended,’ the King of the 

Forest said, and 
with his brown 
hand he smoothed 
the poor sheep’s 
horns back as one 
would a child’s 
hair. From ^that 
time the Rocky 
Mountain sheep 
has been called the 
Big-Horn, because 
of his beautiful 
backward-sw e e p - 
ing horns, finer 
than those of any 
other animal of 

his size.” 

“ That also is a very pretty story, Mr. Turtle,” 
your Aunt Amy said, and it was as if the praise 
encouraged him, for he said promptly : 



When the Big-Horn was in Distress. 


plowing {Turtle's Storp* 


65 


THE PIGS WHO WAITED FOR THE 
BUTTERMILK. 

“ I know a good many of that kind, and here is 
one Mr. Crow believes is best of all, though per- 
haps you won’t think the same way : 

“ Once upon a time there was an old pig who 
had five young ones, and they all lived very hap- 
pily in a house not far away from here. Every 
day old Mrs. Pig went to the farmer’s to get a jug 
of buttermilk, and she always told her children to 
bar the door, and keep it fastened while she was 
gone. 

“ 1 When I come back I will pour a little of the 
buttermilk under the edge of the door, and you 
may know me by that,’ she said. ‘ Don’t open the 
door for your life’s sake, till you see the butter- 
milk coming under.’ 

u One day, while the old pig was gone, as usual, 
Mr. Wolf came to the door and sniffed around 
trying to get in ; but of course he couldn’t because 
the little pigs kept the door barred as their mother 
had told them. In a little while he found that it 
wasn’t any use for him to try to break in, and he 
crept close up to the threshold where he whispered, 
trying to make his voice sound like old Mrs. Pig’s : 


66 plotting {Turtle's Stor?. 

u L Let me in, children. Be quick and let me in ! 5 

44 4 Who are you ? ’ 
one of the little pigs 
asked, and Mr. Wolf 
whispered so as to 
make it seem as if 
Mrs. Pig was talk- 
ing : 

44 4 Why, don’t 
you know me, chil- 
dren ? Pm your 
mother.’ 

44 4 No indeed, 
you’re not our 
mother. We have 
a sign that we know 
our mother by,’ the 

oldest pig grunted. 

44 4 Tell me what that sign is, dear, please do,’ old 
Mr. Wolf coaxed. 

44 4 Indeed we’ll not tell you anything of the 
kind,’ the second pig said with a laugh. 4 You 
must think we are foolish, to suppose we’d do 
anything of the kind.’ 

44 Just then old Mrs. Pig came up with her jug 
of buttermilk, and Mn Wolf, who by this time 



Mr. Wolf Whispering to the Pigs. 


67 


lplobbing {Turtle's Stor?* 

was very angry because lie hadn’t been able to get 
into the house, tried to eat her. 

“ ‘ Let me in, children ! ’ she screamed. 4 Let 
me in before Mr. Wolf bites my ear off ! ’ 

u ‘We want to see the sign first,’ the fourth 
little pig squealed. 4 We promised not to open 
the door till we’d seen the sign.’ 

44 But poor Mrs. Pig couldn’t pour the buttermilk 
under the door because Mr. Wolf had hold of her 
ear with his sharp teeth, and nobody knows what 
might have happened if she had not, while trying 
to get away from the wicked old fellow, kicked 
over the jug of buttermilk. 

44 As it ran under the door the fifth little pig let 
the bar down, while his mother rolled over and 
over till she was inside the house safe away from 
Mr. Wolf’s cruel jaws, and all five of the little 
fellows fastened the bar in place once more.” 

When Mr. Turtle had finished his story he 
looked up at your Aunt Amy as if to learn what 
she thought of it, and, seeing that she did not ap- 
pear very well pleased, he asked : 

“Well, what do you think of it?” 

“Mr. Wolf was very wicked; but I think the 
pigs were foolish not to know their mother’s voice 
when she spoke.” 


68 plotting {Turtle's £tor& 

“They had been told not to open the door until 
they saw the buttermilk,” Mr. Turtle said sharply, 
“ and it was only right they should do as she bade 
them.” 

“ But when they knew she couldn’t pour the 
buttermilk in because Mr. Wolf had hold of her 
ear, I don’t believe they should have held out for 
the sign,” your Aunt Amy insisted. “It was 
right and proper they should refuse to do any- 
thing of the kind before ; but after they had 
good proof that the poor pig was in the clutches 
of the wolf, they ought to have done all they 
could to help her, without waiting for a sign.” 

“ But they had promised,” Mr. Turtle repeated 
angrily, and it is very probable he would have en- 
tered into a long argument had it not been that 
just then he heard, from the other side of the 
pond, a hoarse voice singing : 

“ Ker-chug, ker-chune, I’ve seen you soon ! ” 

Looking up, both Mr. Turtle and your Aunfc 
Amy saw Mr. Frog on the opposite shore, bowing 
very politely, hat in hand, and Mr. Turtle said 
hurriedly : 

“You’ll have to excuse me now. Mr. Frog has 
come back, as you see, and I must hear his account 
of what has happened at Mrs. Mouse’s this after- 


po&biitg {Turtle's Stor^ 


69 


noon. I am sure something went wrong, else he 
wouldn’t have been home so early.” 

Then Mr. Turtle waddled into the water, and 
as he swam away your Aunt Amy watched the 



tiny black ball which she knew to be his head, 
until the lily pads hid it from view, after which 
she went home. 


THE END. 












Hunt Hmy's Hmmat Stories 


CROAKY FROG’S STORY 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With twenty-eight illustrations and a frontis- 
piece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of Croaky Frog’s Stories 

Mr. Croaky Frog introduces himself — 

When Mr. Frog tried to be king — The Stork 
who was looking for an office — When Mother 
Goose made a mistake — When Mr. Ox was 
nervous — When Mr. Frog and Mr. Mouse 
fought — Funny Mr. Frog — A Fashionable 
Family — The dispute between Mrs. Frog and 
Mrs. Mouse — Why Storks build their nests 
in high places — When Professor Stork kept 
school — When the Wasps had a feast — When 
Willie Man was frightened — When the Frog 
taught Mr. Deer good manners — When Mr. 

Frog led the orchestra — When Mr. Eel went 
shopping — When the mosquito lost himself — 

When Mr. Wild Hog taught Mr. Fox — Miss 
Goggle Eyes has a new song — When the mice wanted to sing. 

The Gray Goose’s Story 


By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-two illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 



A List of The Gray Goose Stories 

Mrs. Gray Goose is angry— Mrs. Wild Goose’s visit— An angry pair — Teddy and 
the calf— Teddy’s dog— When Sammy teased the calf— Where Mr. Crow hid his ap- 
pl es _The tragedy in the frog family— Searching for the impossible— A suspicious 
looking visitor — When Mr. Rooster was suspicious — When Mrs. Monkey was dissat- 
isfied — How Bunny Rabbit fooled the stork — When Mrs. Pea-Hen abandoned the 
orphans— Alice questions Mr. Turtle — The lazy Mr. Horse— When the geese claimed 
to be cranes — When Mr. Pig didn’t go to market — The disobedient rat — The true 
story of the golden eggs— The race between Mr. Ftdo and Mr. Shanghai— When 
Mrs. Goose’s baby wasn’t welcome. 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers. 
A. L. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 



Hunt Hmy's Hmmal Stories 
FRISKY SQUIRREL’S STORY 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Handsome 
Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of Frisky Squir- 
rePs Stories 

Looking for a new home — The 
squirrel’s arithmetic — Medicine 
for a lazy squirrel — The foolish 
butterfly— bonny Bunny’s snow- 
shoes-When grandmother fooled 
the hawks — When the rabbits 
lost their coats — Mr. Hawk 
catches Mr. Robin Red-Breast — 

Mrs. Hippopotamus has the 
toothache — Disputing about the 
hat — Mr. Bear and the bees — 

When Sonny Bunny learned to 
dance — How Mr. Penguin got a 
uniform— The rabbit’s victim — 

Funny Mr. Drake — The mos- 
quito’s partner — An odd boarding 
house— Mr. Rooster gets into 
trouble — The rash little darky — 

When Mr. Lion tried to look like 
a king — Mr. Jackass thought 
himself a bird — When the bats 
tried to swim — The industrious 

kitten — Sonny Bunny fools Mr. Fox — How Mx. Blackbird lost his life. 

THE SPECKLED HEN’S STORY 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With twenty-eight illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. 
Handsome Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of the 
Speckled Hen’s 
Stories 

The richest hen in the 
flock — A very stylish 
biddy— Hatching Easter 
eggs — A very happy 
r o o s t e r — When Mr. 

Weasel arrived — When 
the egg rolled out — Mr. 

Shanghai’s sad fate — A 
foolish rooster' — How the 
rooster gained know- 
ledge — The deceit of a 
hen — Meddlesome Mrs. 

Biddy — Mr. Turkey’s 
fears — Mr. Leghorn and 
the cat — When Tommy 
climbed a tree — T h e 
Speckled Hen and the 
wild cat— Mama Speckle 
saves a life — Mr. Bug’s 
vacation— The rooster’s 
convention — T h e am- 
bitious cat — The thin turkey — Mama Speckle’s visitor. 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers, 
A. L. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 


Hunt Hmy ' g 3nim.il Stories 

BUNNY RABBIT’S STORY 


By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Handsome 
Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 


A List of Bunny Rabbit’s Stories 

Where Mr. Bunny Rabbit lived — Bunny 
goes to the Circus — How Mr. Fox cheated 
Bunny Rabbit— Mr. Turtle at the Circus 
— The Elephant’s joke — Bunny Rabbit 
hunts for elephants — The escape from the 
circus — When the chicken was sick — Mr. 
Fox’s pitiful story— Mr. Turtle’s great 
scheme — When Mr. Goose and Mr. Frog 
wore clothes — Mr. Frog's love story — The 
Lamb goes hunting for Mary — Mr. Turtle 
makes a mistake — The sad fate of Mr. 
Coon — Mrs. Brahma's queer family — The 
Frog's boast — Tommy Man goes hunting 
— Mr. Owl at dinner — How Mr. Ape whip- 
ped Mr. Leopard — The trap Mr. Man set 
letter for Bunny Rabbit. 



TOWSER DOG’S STORY 


By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-two illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 



A List of Towser Dog’s Stories 


Mr. Towser dogmeets Aunt Amy — The Tramp dog’s visit — When little Poodle was 
tempted — When Mr. Spot was abused — When Mr. Crow stole a bone — When the 
Wolves fell in love — Mr. Towser dog’s dream- When Mamma Speckle lost an egg — How 
Mr. Spot was punished for being greedy — What the dog really did in the manger — 
When Mr. Rover ran away — A very foolish dog — When Mrs. Sheep gave Mr. Wolfa 
dinner — When Mr. Rover made a mistake — Old Grandfather Luck — When Dandy ne- 
glected his duty — When Mr. Fido lost Mr. Man’s dinner — A very wise dog — Mr. 
Screw learns how much the wagon weighs — When the Wolf wanted a partner — When 
Tommy Man was punished — The inquisitive cat — A lesson on gluttony and meddling. 


For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers, 
A. L. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 


Hunt Hm/s Hmmal Stories 

Mouser Cat’s Story 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-five illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of Mouser Cat’s 
Stories 

Mrs. Mouser Cat calls on Aunt Amy 
— Why cats catch mice — A kitty 
which the snow brought — When Mr. 

Fox was foolish — A wet weather 
party — Mr. Thomas Cat’s narrow 
escape — Mr. Crow’s fancy — A ques- 
tion of beauty — When Mr. Elephant 
and Mr. Bee had a quarrel — When 
Tommy got the best of Mr. Bear — 

Mr. Donkey’s lesson in good man- 
ners — When Mr. Crocodile had his 
teeth extracted — The dissatisfied 
cat — Mr. Crow’s deceit — When 
young Thomas Cat painted a canary 
— When Mr. Fox was too cunning 
— When Sonny Bunny Rabbit was 
rash — Mr. Fox and Miss Crab — The baby elephant — The story fc of squeaky mouse — 
A saucy mouse — Fatal sport — A cat's dream — Blood relations. 



Quacky Duck’s Story 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-four illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. 

Handsome Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of Quacky 
Duck’s Stories 

Mrs. Quacky Duck makes 
herself known — The end of 
Mr. Drake — When little 
Ducky was very young— 

The grasshopper’s bad habit 
— Mr Fox’s experiment — A 
silly mother — A great travel- 
er — The chipmunk who be- 
came a sailor — Strangers — 

When Mrs. Mouse enter- 
tained Mr. Cat — Little Nico- 
demus Brown — Mr. Crane 
pays off old scores — Greedy 
Ben — Benny Man’s joke — A 
wise lamb — A snug fit — The 
caterpillar’s ball — When the 
fox got a bath— Mrs. Pussy Cat’s sly trick— The unfortunate rooster— Surprising the 
bull— A dishonest rooster — The foolish butterflies — The foolish peacock — When 
Sonny Bunny walked in the moonlight. 


For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers 
A. L. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 



Hunt Hniy'a Hnimat Stories 


niCKIE riONKEY’S STORY 

By AMY PRENTICE 


With thirty-five illustrations and a frontis- 
piece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of Mickie Monkey’s Stories 

A sad accident — When Mickie Monkey 
left home — Mickie’s sisters — When Mr. Lion 
was frightened — Mr. Crow makes trouble — 
When Mr. Owl won the badge — When Mr. 
Lion lost his dinner — What Mickie Monkey 
wrote — The famous race — When Mr. Lion 
lost his wits — When Billy Man neglected his 
work — What happened through Billy’s care- 
lessness — When Mr. Fido turned cook — A 
lazy monkey — Mr. Fido as a politician — Mr. 
Fox gets fooled — When Mr. Ape was a tailor 
— An obstinate pig — When Mr. Mouse made 
a mistake — Mr. Monkey’s cousin escapes — 
When Mr. Horse got the best of Mr. Lion— 
When Mr. Pig looted the shop-keeper. 



BILLY GOAT’S STORY 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-two illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Hand- 
some Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 



A List of Billy Goat’s Stories 


Mr. Billy Goat meets Aunt Amy — When Mr. Goat turned studious — An ambitious 
goat — A brave goat — When Mr. Donkey wanted an education — Mr. Trout makes a 
mistake — How Mr. Ram stole the acorns — A very busy mother — When Mr. Turtle 
raced with Mr. Frog — When Mr. Elephant tried to be a man — When Mr. Wolf was 
ungrateful — How Mr. Beetle was fooled — When Mr. Snake’s teeth were dull — When 
Mr. Wild Hog made a mistake — Mr. Calf wants to be the master — More of Mr. Crow’s 
poetry — Foolish Mr. Quail — Mr. Towser’s misfortunes — When Mr. Goat fooled Mr. 
Wolf— Driven from home — When John learned something — When Mr. Donkey went 
on a strike — When Mrs. Cat got discouraged — When Mr. Monkey tried to borrow 
money — When Mr. Robin’s throat was sore. 


For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt ot price by the publishers* 

A. D. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 


Hunt Hm/9 Hnim al Storiea 

Plodding Turtle’s Story 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty illustrations and a frontispiece in colors by J. Watson Davis. Handsome 

A List of 
Plodding Turtle’s 
Stories 

When Mr. Turtle saw 
the world — W h y the 
giraffes have long necks 
— How the butterflies 
frightened Mr. B u g — 

When Monkey went to 
sea-An odd life-saving 
crew — The jumping 
grasshopper— The 
greedy fish — When Mr. 

Crane thought he was a 
stork — A pink tea in the 
j u n g 1 e — The discon- 
tented lion — The clown’s 
lesson — How Mrs. Crow 
strangled herself — 

Hunting for oil — The pig who was proud of himself— When Mr. Ape was a tailor — 
When the snake tried to charm the crab — A picnic party — When little bruin went 
honey- hunting — When the crow tried to swim — The animals who found fault with 
themselves — How the rocky mountain sheep got his big horns — The pigs who waited 
for the buttermilk. 


The Brown Owl’s Story 

By AMY PRENTICE 

With thirty-one illustrations and 
a frontispiece in colors by J. 

Watson Davis. Handsome Cloth 
binding. Price, 50 cents. 

A List of The Brown 
Owl’s Stories 

The Brown Owl introduces him- 
self-Whenthe BrownOwl'scousin 
was a policeman — When Mr. 

Owl robbed the donkey — When 
the Brown Owl was sad — Mama 
Speckle s mistake — When Billy 
ran away — When Sammy was 
cross — When the monkey sang 
with the fox — When Mrs. Mole 
bought anew coat — How the cat 
learned to sing— How the pigeon fooled the hawk — The pet mosquito— A troublesome 
lover— After Johnny had been to the circus— How King Kite lost his crown— The 
caterpillar’s love— A new department store— Mr. Brown Owl’s sad experience— When 
Mr. Stork and Mr. Magpie were partners— How Tommy was frightened into doing 
his duty— Life on a farm— When Mr. Rat fooled Squire Owl— How Mr. Fox was out- 
witted — Old Mrs. Brown Owl is disturbed — A funny bird. 



Cloth binding. Price, 50 cents. 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers, 

A. L. BURT COMPANY, 52-58 Duane Street, New York. 







































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